Chapter 24 Abandonment

Chapter 24 Abandonment
Tessa shifted on the bed, the handcuff chains clanking. This tactic was new. Abandonment? It was nearly two in the morning. Dane had never left her this long before. She shifted her arms, trying to burrow further beneath the tangled blankets.
Things had been more stilted than usual between her and Dane the last few days. He had avoided her since the other night, when they'd watched the deer. He'd even spent the past two nights on the couch, though she knew he wasn't sleeping. She had listened to him pace, no more able to sleep than him. It bothered her more than she cared to admit, because in the final analysis, he was her only affirmation that life existed outside her immediate surroundings.
When he was around, he barely spoke to her. Of course, she'd started that. She'd been mad at him for kissing her. For making her feel things for him that she shouldn't be feeling. But what had made her think that the silent treatment would gain her anything?

Dane held all the cards in this game. More and more, it felt like he held all her emotions as well. It wasn't fair. But that didn't change the situation.
Right now, she desperately wanted, needed to see Dane. and not just for food or to get up. She needed to know he was coming back. She heard a noise at the door and strained to listen. Unbidden, tears sprang to her eyes. Dane! Thank god! She struggled to sit up, determined to do whatever it took to make things right between them again. She never wanted to be left alone like this again.
Her apology died on her lips when the door flung open, and the overhead light cruelly snapped on, temporarily blinding her.
"Boo! Bet you thought you'd seen the last of us." Eddie stood in the doorway, then strolled over to the bed. Duke followed, looking distinctly uncomfortable.
Tessa cringed, moving back against the headboard, her range of movement severely limited. "Get out of here!"
"Miss High and Mighty thinks she can tell us what to do." Eddie sneered, his eyes raking slowly over her. "I bet Hayes had fun with you. Hmm?"

Had? Her mind seized ruthlessly on the word. Past tense. Tessa'a heart bumped painfully against her throat. "Where's Dane?"
Ignoring her question, Eddie swaggered closer, holding out the cuff key. "I'd love for you to give us some trouble." He winked lewdly.
The bubble of raw dread that had been building inside her burst as Eddie freed her hands.
"Stand up," he ordered, grabbing her harshly by the shoulder and jerking her to her feet. "Put your hands behind your back."
Duke surged forward, shoving Eddie's hand away. "He said to let her use the john."
Tessa's hope soared and just as quickly plummeted. These two men were most likely working on Bogen's orders. "Please, tell me where Dane is."
Eddie's hand bit into the soft flesh of her upper arm as he propelled her urgently to the door. "All you need to know is that he ain't here, lady." His lips stretched into a depraved smile. "And we are."

Eddie and Duke led her from the cabin, leaving her with a scrambled mind, thinking about where they were taking her and what their intentions were. Her mind readily supplying all the worst-case scenarios.
To her dismay, they locked her in the dark pantry in Bogen's house. She'd fought and lost. And this time, besides leaving her hands cuffed, they gagged her and bound her ankles with heavy rope. Perspiration soaked the thin shirt she wore. She was surprised that they left her untouched. She had survived being assaulted, but who knew what lay ahead. Thankfully, she wasn't drugged, though depending on what happened next, she might wish she had been. She recalled Dane's description of enforced servitude, wanting to vomit at the thought of the pain and abuse that awaited her. White slavery. She wouldn't be able to withstand it.

She no longer tried to stop the tears from tracking down her cheeks. She felt miserable and frightened. Scared of what was to come. And she knew it would be awful. With Dane, she had maintained hope. Maintained a belief that in some crazy way it would all work out. Now that hope was gone. Ignoring the roiling in her stomach, she tried to breathe deeply, fighting the distressing blackness simmering at the edge of her mind. As much as she hated her present predicament, the thought of passing out and waking up in a worse scenario was beyond imagining.
She huddled in a corner, listening for what seemed like hours, but the house remained quiet. Her scattered thoughts turned to Dane again and again. Why hadn't he returned? She couldn't believe he had turned her over to Bogen.
Unless.....something happened to him. Her chest squeezed painfully at the thought. Was he injured? Or was he simply tired of her and her games and simply didn't want to deal with her anymore?
No. She refused to believe that. Dane had been right. There was something between them, a bond, a link. Something more than the ever-present, physical attraction. As much as she tried to deny it or ignore it. It was there. And only now did she realize how fully she'd come to depend on him for her mental well-being. He'd protected her. Nurtured her.

He had to be alright. And he had to return for her. For sanity's sake, she held on to that thought as tightly as she could. She felt thirsty and tired, but didn't dare close her eyes. In the short time she'd been locked up, she'd realized a surprising thing about herself. She was a fighter. She'd do whatever it took to survive.
She shifted, trying to find a comfortable position. The pantry was not all unheated. There were several holes in the floor that allowed cold, damp air to waft in from what she assumed was a basement below the house.
A faint noise caught her attention. Holding her breath, she listened. There it was again. A slight scraping sound. Followed by a faint squeak.
God. What if Bogen or one of the others were coming for her? How could she possibly stop them?

The noise repeated itself, and this time, she frowned. It almost sounded like it came from within the pantry. She peered around in the darkness, unable to see much.
Then it moved. And squeaked again. A rat.
She tried to scream, scrambling backwards toward the door. The creature stopped, seemingly frozen in its tracks as it assessed her. She banged her feet on the floor, making as much noise as she could. The rat retreated, and for a moment, she thought she'd frightened it off. Until she heard it squeak again.
And it was followed by an answering squeak....from its mate.